1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flatbreads and more particularly to a method and apparatus for preparing an elongated, substantially continuous pita bread.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flatbread is a common staple in Middle Eastern countries and, in recent years, has enjoyed considerably increasing popularity in other areas of the world. There are several types of flatbread, including lavash and pita bread. Pita bread, also known as pocket bread, has found a special popularity due in part to the convenience of using pita bread for making sandwiches. This is because the bread, when torn, forms a pocket which may be filled with meat, vegetables, cheese and other sandwich fixings. The pocket is formed between two outer layers which are easily separated by the user. The relative thinness of the layers is another attractive aspect of the bread.
The double layer form characteristic of pita bread results from its baking process. In this process, a rolled, flat dough disk is baked in an extremely hot oven, typically in excess of 500.degree. F., on a flat support surface. The extreme heat initially sears the top, bottom and edge surfaces of the dough disk, thus creating a crust that at least partially seals these surfaces. As the dough between the surfaces heats up and bakes, gas and steam are liberated from the dough. This gas and steam is generated faster than it can escape through the crust; thus, pressure is created within the dough disk and the disk inflates. The inflation process separates the upper and lower surfaces of the bread so that the upper and lower layers bake separate from each other.
The popularity of pita bread has prompted a demand for additional flatbread products. For example, the relatively thin outer layers of baked pita bread can be used to manufacture a low-fat, yet pleasing chip-type snack food. One approach for creating such pita chips is to feed baked pita bread through a chopper, which chops the bread into snack-sized portions. This process involves extensive labor because individual baked pita bread loaves must be fed into the chopper. Additionally, the outer layers of each pita bread portion are joined to each other along an edge of the pita bread portion. A great deal of waste results from feeding individual pita bread portions through a chopper because the edges create incomplete snack portions that must be disposed of.